Recent News

9th Medical Group Establishes Entry Control Point

Airman Leon Guico, Left, 9th Medical Group (MDG) health administrator, and Senior Airman Christopher Miracle, 9th MDG optometry technician, guard the Entry Control Point (ECP) at the Clinic on Beale Air Force Base, California, Mar. 12, 2020. The ECP was set up at the Beale Clinic to protect Airmen and their families from the growing COVID-19 threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez)

Lynn Bergmann, 9th Medical Group patient safety program coordinator, and Denise Ross, 9th MDG Patient Advocate, pose for a photo in front of the clinic’s marquee on Beale Air Force Base, California.

Providing better care with Patient Safety Week

Lynn Bergmann, 9th Medical Group (MDG) patient safety program coordinator, right, and Denise Ross, 9th MDG Patient Advocate, left, pose for a photo in front of the clinic’s marquee on Beale Air Force Base, California, March 11, 2020. National Patient Safety Week occurred from 8-14 March 2020.

Lynn Bergmann, 9th Medical Group (MDG) Patient Safety Program Coordinator, and Denise Ross, 9th MDG Patient Advocate speak to an Airman about patient safety on Beale Air Force Base, California.

Providing better care with Patient Safety Week

Lynn Bergmann, 9th Medical Group (MDG) Patient Safety Program Coordinator, center, and Denise Ross, 9th MDG Patient Advocate, right, speak to an Airman about patient safety on Beale Air Force Base, California, March 11, 2020. Educating Beale personnel was one of several things Bergmann and Ross did to promote Patient Safety week.

9th Logistic Readiness Squadron (LRS) fuels operators work with Liquid Oxygen

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

A beaker of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) is stationed in a testing area at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. Airmen observe the beaker and the film of white paper inside to see and smell if the LOX has any discoloration, discrepancies or smell. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

A beaker of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) is stationed in a testing area at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. The beakers have a film of white paper inside to show if the LOX has any discoloration or discrepancies. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

A tray of beakers are stationed in a holding area to be used for testing Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. The beakers have a film of white paper inside to show if the LOX has any discoloration or discrepancies. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

Senior Airman Corey Walton, 9th Logistic Readiness Squadron (LRS) fuels facility operator, left, observes Airman 1st Class Brain Barrios, 9th LRS fuels operator, as he carefully handles Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. Airmen wear specialized protective equipment to comfortably manage LOX so they don’t get burned. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

Airman 1st Class Brain Barrios, 9th Logistic Readiness Squadron fuels operator, carefully holds a collected sample of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) to test at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. Inside the beaker is oxygen in liquid form. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

Airman 1st Class Brain Barrios, 9th Logistic Readiness Squadron fuels operator, uses a beaker to collect a sample of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) to test at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. Inside the beaker is oxygen in liquid form. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Fuels work hard, but stay clean

Airman 1st Class Brain Barrios, 9th Logistic Readiness Squadron fuels operator, uses a beaker to collect a sample of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) to test at Beale Air Force Base, California, March 4, 2020. Airmen wear specialized protective equipment to comfortably manage LOX so they don’t get burned. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee)

Chief's Corner

I am an American Airman

Too often I hear the statement, “The Air Force has no tradition…certainly not like the other services.” Or there’s the comment, “The Air Force changes everything all the time. New uniforms, AFI’s, etc….how can we expect to maintain any heritage or tradition?”
I submit there is one decisive, deliberate, and motivating action each of us can take. No matter the position you hold, the grade you wear, or if you are active duty, guard, reserve, retired, every single one of us can implement this small, yet powerful change today. The change refers to a facet of our current culture.
Malcolm Gladwell speaks about culture change in his book, ‘Tipping Point’. In his book, the author posits that even the smallest adjustments to habits, routines, or attitudes can have a significant impact on the culture or perception of an organization, population, or product.
Therefore, I challenge everyone to stop referring to members of our Air Force as ‘TROOPS’.
According to Merriam-Webster, the primary definition of the word troop is:
a. A group of soldiers
b. A cavalry unit corresponding to an infantry company
c. A flock of mammals or birds
I understand a definition is literal, however, there are two problems with the way we throw this term around to refer to our Airmen. First, the word troop is actually plural…referring to a group of soldiers. Lastly, and most poignantly, the word troop is actually rooted in a tradition and heritage of another service. And before we start the “But Chief, we were born out of the Army” conversation, I would ask you to consider a few points.
We were born out of the Army for a reason. We fulfill several needs that no other organization can: to keep up with advancing technology and to take warfighting to an entirely different level, both geographically and mentally. The Army and Navy were long-time competitors for military leadership and neither service thought that the other should take on the new tasks of strategic deterrence missions associated with the advent of the atomic bomb. This, along with many other great reasons, is why our Air Force, and our AIRMEN were created.
Think about it. The United States Air Force was created for some of the most sophisticated warfare challenges of the time.
So, let’s continue the tradition born in 1947 and call each other what we truly are. Please, call me Airman.

Chief Hall

ArticleCS

Aircrew Flight Equipment Specialists, Keeping Pilots Safe

By Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez, 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs / Published February 03, 2020

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Airman 1st Class Joshua Chatman, 9th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment specialist, places a strain relief cord back into an oxygen mask hose after cleaning it out, Jan. 22, 2020 at Beale Air Force Base, California. To ensure oxygen masks are properly functioning, aircrew flight equipment specialists inspect them every 30 days. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez)

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Airman 1st Class Maggie Breedlove, 9th Operations Support aircrew flight equipment specialist, measures and cuts Velcro pieces that will be placed in the inside of a flyers lightweight helmet, Jan. 22, 2020 at Beale Air Force Base, California. These pieces of Velcro will attach an energy absorbing liner to the helmet. The purpose of an energy absorbing liner is to reduce impact energy to the head of a pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez)

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BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif --

Before a plane takes off, pilots need to make sure they are set with the equipment necessary for any situation. 9th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment specialists are responsible for ensuring pilots have the lifesaving tools needed to avoid a potentially devastating scenario.

“Our mission as aircrew flight equipment specialists is to protect and serve our fellow aircrew members. We do this by making sure all their equipment is up to date,” said Airman 1st Class Joshua Chatman, 9th OSS aircrew flight equipment specialist. “We inspect and maintain their gear regularly to ensure all their equipment is in perfect working condition.”

When inspecting or maintaining equipment, these specialists give their full attention to what they’re working with, paying close attention to fine details. A pilot’s safety is their number one priority, for that reason aircrew flight equipment Airmen have a system in place to make sure nothing is overlooked.

“We use a property management system called the Defense Property Accountability System (DPAS) where we put in all inspections and maintenance conducted on flight equipment,” said Staff Sgt. Dominique Robinson, 9th OSS aircrew flight equipment specialist. “Every Friday we run our overdue list to make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

Oxygen masks, oxygen tanks, parachutes, g-suites, helmets, and survival kits are just a portion of the wide variety of equipment these professionals maintain.

“Every piece of equipment we work with is vital to a pilot’s wellbeing,” said Chatman. “Inspecting and maintaining the equipment we work on is important, because if I don’t take my job seriously a pilot might not go home to see his family.”

Aircrew flight equipment Airmen know the importance of their job and the role they play in keeping pilots safe. The equipment these airmen work with, provides pilots with the safety and security necessary to achieve the 9th Reconnaissance Wing’s mission to provide superior reconnaissance in support of national objectives.